Thursday, May 17, 2018

Plenty of Opportunity for Women Truck Drivers

The life of a truck driver is one that is not just relegated to men. Women are also taking on truck driver jobs and making it their profession. The movement is growing as women are steadily settling in behind the wheel of a big rig. Here is some information from T.G. Stegall Trucking in Charlotte about the ongoing growing demand for more truckers. At the end of last year, the American Truckers Association estimated that there was a nationwide shortage of more than 47,000 truck drivers.

However, just 6% of truckers in the United States are females, according to the U.S. Department of labor. That means opportunity is widespread for women looking for trucker jobs throughout the United States.

While some men may feel a little threatened by women truck drivers, most men are generally eager to cater to women. That means getting a helping hand could be significantly easier for women than it is for men. Men are usually more prone to answer questions from women as well. So women drivers can count on some form of assistance if it is ever needed out on the road.

That does not mean that women are going to steer completely clear of discrimination in what is a male-dominated field. Nevertheless, women’s rights are being recognized and protected. In January of 2016, a federal court granted the appeal of a Pittsburgh woman who was suing her Connecticut-based trucking company for discrimination based on her gender.

There are also activists who have stepped up for women’s rights in the trucking industry. Real Women in Trucking is a group that was formed in 2010 and granted trade association status in 2013. Its mission is to raise awareness for women drivers and also connect them with quality CDL driving jobs. That network has also made it easier for new female drivers to find female support as the group has quickly expanded.

The bottom line is that the demands of the trucking industry extends to drivers, with no specification to gender or race. Coincidentally, 38.6% of truckers are minorities, according to the American Truckers Association’s 2015 Truck Driver Shortage Analysis.

That number has risen 12 percentage points since 2001 and if that trend remains consistent, the percentage of women should rise in the future as well.

T.G. Stegall Trucking offers excellent trucking jobs in Charlotte, NC for men and women. An equal opportunity employer, T.G. Stegall Trucking provides a top-notch opportunity for eager drivers who are looking to make the most out of their futures.